Rose Bowl Week for USC kicked off at Disneyland on Tuesday afternoon exactly as you might have predicted it — with offensive lineman Zach Banner wearing a pair of Minnie Mouse ears on his head.
Said ears belong to a member of USC’s sports information department before Banner commandeered them. Why? “This is the happiest place on earth,” the lineman said.
“I would expect nothing less from Zach,” head coach Clay Helton laughed. “He’s the ultimate character on our team.”
Banner’s character stood out in the land of characters on Tuesday during the Rose Bowl Welcome Press Conference, when Helton and Penn State’s James Franklin each introduced four of their players to the mixture of Trojans, Nittany Lions, media and unaffiliated park-goers in California Adventure’s Carsland.